NEED HELP? WE'LL GET IN TOUCH SHORTLY!

Feed in your details

Tag: Fake Cosmetics

According to a recent survey by global investigation firm Kroll, perfume and cosmetic products are the most counterfeited goods in the UK. The report states that cosmetic or beauty products were the sixth most counterfeited products after toys, chargers, clothing, bags and sports shoes.

The firm stated that duplicate consumer products are a growing part of the global economy and pose a risk to the economy and consumers. The outcomes of the counterfeit goods are dangerous and have many negative effects.

Benedict Hamilton, Managing Director at Kroll said, “We have seen how the counterfeiting of seemingly harmless clothing items such as jeans and t-shirts is actively contributing to the financing of global terrorist activity, so in addition to consumers’ health, there is also the broader world impact to consider.”

He also said that counterfeits don’t begin and end with the seller on the street; there is an entire supply chain in operation to create bogus goods and to stem the flow, we need to find the source.

On tackling the counterfeit goods, he said, “Only by following the chain of fake goods all the way up to those producing them and raising awareness of the problem, will we be able to safeguard against the potential dangers posed by counterfeits.”

“Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all.” Most of you would be aware of this famous line from the classic fable ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.’ Surprisingly, this line is turning out to be true and there is a growing rage among women and men to have fairer skin.

We are constantly swarmed by social media images of angelic white men and women flaunting beauty like never seen before, in the real world. We crave for the glaring skin tones of our favourite celebrities. For us, dark skin has become a sign of disgrace and ugliness.

To get fairer skin people have been using cosmetics, skin surgeries and medicines. Among these, the most famous is the use of cosmetic products. There is a growing demand for skin whitening creams and different cosmetic brands have launched the same.

However, the rise in demand of such creams has also led to the growth of counterfeits. Flea markets, e-commerce websites, street shops and even e-commerce space is filled with fake skin whitening creams.

Besides duping the consumer of their money fake skin whitening creams cause damage to the skin. Lately, the use of fake skin whitening creams have caused skin allergies, skin infections, blisters, acne, pimples and other anomalies of the skin. Fake skin whitening creams usually contain toxic chemicals which are quite harmful to the skin in the long run.

While it’s difficult to identify between original and fakes cosmetics manufacturers can use security holograms, security labels, holographic packaging, QR codes and other security measures to deter the copying of original products. Holostik provides cutting edge anti-duplication and packaging solutions to different industries for safeguarding their products against duplication. So, if you are a cosmetic manufacturer and want to save your profits and brand image against duplication get in touch with us now.

Online giant e-commerce companies Amazon and Flipkart were served notices after their website was found to be selling fake, adulterated cosmetics in India.

The companies are caught in stir after many resellers on the websites were found to be selling “unregulated and fake cosmetics” under the nose of these companies, Livemint reports.

The companies in the meeting with Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) on November 1 have committed to preventing the sales of “unregulated and fake cosmetics”.

Amazon and Flipkart were both served notices in October for violation of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 provisions after an investigation found that some resellers on their websites were selling illegally imported beauty products.

DCGI said Amazon and Flipkart both were found to have been selling “adulterated” and “unregulated” cosmetics on their websites while products ranging from stem cell-based cosmetics, serums, skin whitening creams, glutathione injections and hyaluronic acid filler injections were illegally imported besides selling fake cosmetics containing ingredients which are not permitted for use on human.

The drug regulator directed the senior executives from Amazon and Flipkart to look into such sales or face stringent action.

Advertisements and hoardings displaying heavy discounts instantly grab our attention and if it’s a cosmetic brand then the chances are quite high. Ladies tend to swarm cosmetic shops to get the best products at slashed prices and men also don’t stay behind to get their favourite grooming products. However, what they might know is that the product can be a counterfeit. Market experts have revealed that there is a close link between discounted cosmetics and counterfeiting. It’s a deceitful tactic adopted by counterfeiters to create an enticement of discounted cosmetics that are generally a costly affair.

Fake cosmetics not only infringe property rights but also wreak a havoc on the health of the consumers. According to FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) counterfeiting in the cosmetics and pharmaceuticals sector is dangerous for brands and customers. Early last year, the Food and Drug Administration agency (FDA) busted a long-standing fake cosmetics racket where local shops in Mumbai were creating spurious knockoffs of L’Oreal, Lakme, Revlon, Olay, Elle 18, Nivea, etc.

Rise of counterfeit markets leads to a tarnished brand image. Fake products attract unsuspecting customers due to the import tag and pricing. Heavy discounts generally become the USP of these products.

A senior industry expert told us that businesses can benefit immediately if government takes steps to refine the current intellectual property regulations and ensure they are strictly implemented. The government should also improve enforcement mechanism by reviewing the current laws against IP violations.

There is no denying the fact that counterfeiters will pose a challenge to brands but at the same time, they pose different health risks which are quite frightening in nature. Let’s discuss some of them.

1.Lead poisoning: Fake cosmetics can have high content of lead which after regular use can build up in the body. Lead poisoning in human body can cause memory loss, joint pain, muscle pain, and headaches. In pregnant women, the risk is much higher which can often lead to miscarriage and premature birth.

2.Allergy: When counterfeiters mix different chemicals to get the desired looking product they do not care about its implications. The fake product often leads to serious allergies of the skin and even permanent scarring.

3.Bacteria contamination: A counterfeit cosmetic is not made in a hygienic environment of a factory but is rather manufactured in damp basements, filthy small factories and back rooms. This increases the chance of bacterial contamination which is further transmitted to the consumer. One such bacteria detected in fake cosmetics is the E Coli bacteria which causes stomach and urinary infections.

4.Arsenic: Studies have shown that counterfeit brands contain high amount of arsenic which can lead to shock, abdominal pain and even death.

5.Eye infections: There have been frequent reports of eye infection and blurry vision post application of fake eyeshadows and liners.